Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: Lord

  • Be Still…

    Be Still…

    “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”

    Psalm 37:7

    What were the instructions of the risen Christ Jesus to the Apostles for the time after He ascended once more into Heaven?

    WAIT.

    Luke 24:48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

    Even when we witness Christ crucified and resurrected, we must not get ahead of His higher purposes and timetable.

    What did the Lord say to frightened Apostles when He appeared suddenly in an upper room?

    Luke 24: “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.

    John 20:Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

    In fact, what had Jesus spoken to His creation of the wind and sea when the Disciples in a boat with Him had thought they might perish by drowning?

    Mark 4:39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

    He offered the blood and sacrifice of His peace for the sake of those He loved.

    Jesus had assured that His peace will remain with those who have faith in Him.

    John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

    Jesus had often instructed the Disciples of the Source of His peace.

    Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”

    41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed…

    Be still and know that Jesus IS Lord.

    Pray to the Father and He will send you the Spirit.

    Jesus tells a parable of a great wedding feast.

    (Do Christians not expect to receive the invitation of our Lord to this glorious joining of the church to her Bridegroom?)

    One wanted to celebrate the wedding feast without an invitation. He did not wait for the invitation, but just showed up as an uninvited guest.

    Matthew 22:12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’

    And he was speechless.

    It’s the same word: Before the King, the man had to be still. He had nothing to say.

    13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

    WAIT! on the Lord.

    Pray; and He will send the Spirit.

    If the Disciples of the first century always seemed so distracted, how much more the distracted christians of this twenty-first century.

    Be still. Pray. Wait for the Spirit. Then obey our Lord.

    Psalm 25

    English Standard Version (ESV)
    Teach Me Your Paths

    To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
    2 O my God, in you I trust;
    let me not be put to shame;
    let not my enemies exult over me.
    3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame…

    Jesus IS victorious over sin and death!

    Jesus IS Lord. Let us pray for His paths.

    4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
    5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.

     Be still, beloved believer.

    Pray and wait for the Spirit.

    16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
    17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
    bring me out of my distresses.
    18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.

    Lord, Jesus, You have died for my sins.

    20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
    Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
    21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.

    We wait for You, Lord Jesus.

     

  • The Ascension

    The Ascension

    Acts 1:3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

    4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

    The crucified and risen Christ Jesus walked with, ate with, and instructed the disciples for more than a month.

    We know that Jesus spent these precious forty days not only instructing the Apostles how to take the Gospel into all the world, but also instructing other true disciples of the early church.

    1 Corinthians 15: … Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

    6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time…

    Jesus’ instruction to the Apostles, now to be led in unity of Christ’s purpose by Peter, would have been frequent and private as He had done throughout His three-year incarnate mission leading to the Cross.

    These same Apostles had witnessed Jesus transfigured and standing with Moses and Elijah. These same Apostles had witnessed the love and power of hundreds of miracles. These same Apostles had witnessed Jesus (and then Peter briefly) walking on the Sea of Galilee!

    The Apostles, disciples of the Way, Jews and Romans had witnessed His horrific crucifixion; and now more than five hundred had witnessed Jesus’ glorious resurrection.

    Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

    7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

    9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

    road-to-emmaus10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?

    This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

    The Power and Majesty of God Almighty: once again evident to mere mortal men.

    MapBethanyJerusalemReturning to Luke’s description of Jesus’ ascension in his first scroll:

    Luke 24:

    48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

    50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.

    51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

    52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

     

  • Slow of Heart to Believe

    Slow of Heart to Believe

    Are we slow of heart to believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ Jesus?

    In an early encounter with two of His disciples (followers), Jesus, our risen Lord, accuses gently:

    “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken …”

    – Luke 24:25 KJV

    Does this from our Lord resonate in your twenty-first century ears?

    A commentator on what Jesus told these two disciples from the Prophets remarked (certainly tongue-in-cheek) that he could never forgive Cleopas for not telling Luke which passages from the Prophets Jesus used. I, too, could only speculate; but would point us to some scriptures we might resist in our Bible reading. It is with more ‘WARNINGS’ to the churches I would like to direct our reluctant eyes ‘slow of heart to believe.’

    the_seven_churches_of_revelation

    • Ephesus – you have abandoned the love you had at first…
    • Smyrna – Do not fear what you are about to suffer.
    • Pergamum – you have some there who… practice sexual immorality.
    • Thyatira – teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality…
    • Sardis – “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die…
    • Philadelphia – I know that you have but little power… I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
    • Laodicea –  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

    AS WE, would so easily dismiss the cautions of Jesus to the seven churches of Revelation; so, too, the disciples were ‘slow of heart to believe’ all the Prophets had warned God’s disciple nation: Israel (and also Judah).

    NOTE: The following scriptures are King James Version:

    Isaiah 3:8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

    Jeremiah 2:11 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

    Hosea 4: Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

    Perhaps, hearing with open ears and seeing scripture with eyes uncovered, you may see in much scripture how the Messiah, the Christ, must suffer and die.

    Hear (even after His resurrection) and consider in closing Psalm 49, thinking of the incarnate life of Jesus.

    Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

    Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

    My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

    I will incline mine ear to a parable…

    They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

    None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

    (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

    That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption…

    But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me…

     

    Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”

    And having said this he breathed his last.